1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet printer with a service station including a switch valve that selectively connects caps for ink jet printheads to a pump.
2. Description of the Related Art
JP-A 63-224957 discloses an ink-jet printer with a service station. According to this service station, caps define cavities around ink-jet printheads, respectively. Flexible tubes are connected at one end to the caps. At the other end, the tubes are connected to ON/OFF valves. A pump is connected to all of the ON/OFF valves. Each of the ON/OFF valves has a first position in which communication between the associated tube and the pump is established and a second position in which the communication is blocked. A control unit has an authority over these valves so as to open communication between a selected one of the caps and the pump.
JP-A 6-328700 discloses another service station in which a cam is arranged to contact an assembly of flexible tubes. The tubes connect different ink chambers of an ink cartridge to nozzles of ink-jet printhead, respectively. A cap defines a cavity around the ink-jet printhead. A motor driven pump is connected to the cap. In operation, the cam takes one of predetermined angular positions to squeeze all of the other tubes except a selected one tube. The motor is put into operation to drive the pump, initiating discharge of plugged ink from the one nozzle that communicates with the selected one tube. Similarly, the pump discharges plugged ink from all of the other nozzles one after another in timed relation with shifting of the cam to the other predetermined angular positions one after another.
An object of the present invention is to provide a less complicated alternative to the known service station.